Hand-held writing devices are commonly utilized and shared by individuals in public places such as hospitals, doctor's offices, banks, department stores, and restaurants. Infectious microorganisms including viruses and bacteria colonize on these writing devices and promote the spread of communicable diseases from the common cold to more serious infections. The use of ultraviolet light for its purification germicidal effects is well known. When administered at the desired frequencies, durations, and intensities, ultraviolet light is able to kill a wide spectrum of microorganisms.
While prior art sterilization devices are known, mechanisms for transporting writing instruments through a field of ultraviolet light occasionally malfunction. For example, one or more writing instruments can become misaligned within a sterilizer causing the writing instruments within to jam. Accordingly, there is a need for improved mechanisms within a sterilization device for receiving, aligning, transporting and dispensing writing instruments.